Lauri,

First, I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond to your question. Please forgive me, as I have been traveling for the last month and unable to post much.

Regarding Kimono, Yes, you can buy them in both Tokyo and Kyoto. If you want to buy one to wear, and yes women do wear them, you can. But... They are not very comfortable as you must sit and stand ramrod straight and take very small steps. Also, it can get expensive as there is so much you need to purchase in order to wear one properly. A nice NEW silk kimono with everything you need (see bleow) will run you a minimum of $700 and up if you purchase one from a department store. On the other had I have seen very nice USED ones here in Tokyo for $100 - $200, but that is just the Kimono. As they are quite expensive and worn only on special occasions (the really nice, fancy, embroidered ones, not every day ones)there is a big market for used Kimono. Keep in mind that if you want to wear one properly you will need the following: The Kimono itself, the robe that goes under it, the Obe (the "fabric wrapped around the waist that looks so pretty from behind), the two ties for the obe, the flat sandal / shoes, socks, and the hair ornament. I really think that buying everything to actually wear one would not be practical. I had always planned to get one to wear on one of the formal nights on PANDA, but once I realized what was involved I decided that that was not going to happen. I would have loved to do it, and really seriously considered it, but the big caveat is that you need someone to dress you in one, you cannot do it yourself. Here in Japan, if a woman does not have another woman to help her (her mother or a sister for instance) she would go to a hair salon, and they will dress you for a fee. One could probably manage the robe and Kimono, but the obe cannot be tied by the person wearing it. In addition, there are strict "proper" ways to tie the obe and you would need experience and training to do it. Given all of that, you probably won't be buying one to actually wear it. That being said, they are so beautiful that many people buy them to display as a wall hanging. In that case, in my opinion a used one is the way to go. I have not yet been to Kyoto, but my friends have told me that yes, you can buy used ones there. The most important thing to keep in mind is that if you are buying it to display it, you want to get one that is beautiful from the back as it is the back that is displayed, not the front. I fell in love with one a few months ago, and almost bought it, until I realized the really beautiful emboidered scenes were on the front and the back was relatively plain. I think they would be a really wonderful souvenir and they are easily displayed on a curtin rod hung on the wall. Another thing that would make a good souvenir are the obes. They are usually about 12 - 15 feet long, and extremely beatuiful. They make really nice table runners or scarves for a dresser or table. There is a caveat here too, in that there is many times (but not always) a section of about 2 -4 feet that is made of a less fancy and less expensive peice of fabric as that is the part that does not show when worn. You can usually pin it so that this part doesn't show. Sometimes both sides are the same and sometimes not. Many times the beautiful side will be silk and the back is a lesser type of fabric. If you want one that is the same on both sides you can get them the are just a bit more difficult to find and more expensive. In Tokyo, I have seen the used ones for between $50 and $200. I only have one which was new, silk and is emroidered with real gold thread and it cost me nearly $200. BUT... it is beautiful.

I hope this answers your questions. I will be happy to share my limited knowledge with you on the cruise as I am hoping to shop for Kimono and obe in Kyoto too.